Excuse me while I rationalize about going back to my old job.

I had three different conversations with three former co-workers yesterday and they all told me that I should come back to work. One of these former co-workers is my beloved. That's where we met.

Thinking about going back forces me to think about why I left in the first place. I left because my Manager made a comment that left me to conclude that she didn't respect me or the work I did. I got my panties in a bunch and walked out the door. Instead of confronting her about the comment and working through it I left a position in management with a good company that I had been with for seven years. I lost my stocks, 401k, good friends and the pleasure of seeing my beloved everyday. I have to learn not to be so reactive.

Sounds like my marriages. I got pissed over something relatively small and decided it was over. For example, the fact that my second husband didn't pay the car payment and lied to me about it was enough for me to send him packing. Seriously.

I left my job over a year ago and many followed in my footsteps in the days and months that followed. They are losing three more people in the next two months and the folks that are left behind are drowning in work.

I cannot stand the job that I went to and I've been looking for an out for the past 16 months. They lured me with promises of being able to create my own department and have complete control, blah blah blah. My boss is a lawyer and she knew exactly what to say to me to win me over. Of course, once I got there I found out that you can't create something that already exists. I am now considered "support staff". Working for a woman who couldn't make a solid business decision if her life depended on it. I'm surrounded by other members of the support staff who are perfectly content referring to themselves as "peons". They pay me very well but if I have learned anything during this ordeal it's that money is not the answer to all my problems. I took this job and took control of my financial future and now that I'm on solid ground I really have to get away from these people.

What will I be going back to? Long hours, a heavy workload and increased stress levels. I'm not afraid of work, in fact, I feel like I've been slacking for the past sixteen months. My nest is almost empty so while I need to be here for my kids it's not like when they were babies. I know these people and they know me so I won't have start all over again trying to prove myself.

I'm expecting to be welcomed. According to the former co-workers that I spoke to yesterday I will be. Well, I put in the application yesterday now all I have to do is wait.